We use a few different tricks to make sure that we use up the leftovers in our house. None of these tricks are fool-proof, but together they seem to keep the mound of leftovers at bay.

Date your leftovers. We always write the day’s date on a piece of tape and stick it to the container holding each night’s leftovers. This information allows us to keep track of each leftover’s age and ensure that we eat the container’s contents before they become inedible.

Transform leftovers into something new. No one can complain about eating last night’s leftovers if they don’t realize that they are. Look for recipes that allow you to utilize your leftovers. Grilled chicken breasts from yesterday’s cookout, for instance, can become tasty ingredients in a dish of enchiladas or a warm topping for a lunch salad.

Pack leftovers in lunches. Chances are that you’re always looking for tasty lunch ideas, anyway. Why not pack small portions of last night’s dinner dishes into your or your spouse’s lunch? A helping of warm meatloaf or tasty pasta is much better than another humdrum sandwich or a drive-thru burger.

Have a “Leftover Night.” When all else fails, an easy way to get rid of a random batch of leftovers is to host a leftover night. Allow each member of the family to fill his plate with his choice of leftovers. One family member might select one dish for his meal. Another might select tiny portions of several dishes to create a buffet-style meal. You can create excitement about “Leftover Night” by hyping it up. Ask the kids throughout the day what dish they are looking forward to having on the big night. Before long your family will love “Leftover Night.”

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I can certainly sympathize with people in that situation. Cooking does not come easily for me. I can handle all sorts of crafts projects, change the oil in my car, and even tackle some hefty home improvement projects, but cooking is a totally different experience. I really had to work hard to develop some cooking skills.

Looking back to my early cooking days, though, I realize that there were still some things that I did to keep food costs in check. Lest you think that all of my money-saving tips are only useful to cooking experts, I thought I’d share a few of those tricks with you.

Buy inexpensive components and build them up. I love this trick because I get to make something quickly and inexpensively and turn it into something more nutritious. For instance, I would buy Campbell’s chicken and noodle soup in bulk when it’s on sale. When I would prepare the soup, I’d add extra veggies to the pot and let them simmer for a long time. No one would ever know that it was canned soup, and it was super cheap.

Take advantage of coupons and sales. If cooking isn’t your strong suit, you will almost certainly find yourself purchasing more pre-prepared items. You can help offset some of the cost of these more expensive foods by layering coupons with sales promotions. Be sure to buy in large quantities when you’re favorites on sale, too.

Make like a rabbit. You don’t have to be a good cook to make a great salad. A head of lettuce or a clump of spinach will get your started. Then, add your favorite extras like hardboiled eggs, carrot shreds, nuts, and dressing. You can also save on salad ingredients by growing them in your own garden.

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What you may not realize, though, is that using casseroles in your meal plans can also help you stretch your food budget. By using inexpensive ingredients or even leftovers from another meal you can put entrees together for next to nothing. Here are some of my favorite options:

Beef and Macaroni Bake – I think of this casserole as a home-made version of hamburger helper. Begin by cooking a bag of your family’s favorite pasta. We like macaroni, but you can also use shells or bow-tie pasta. Then combine the pasta with brown hamburger (we use leftovers from the previous night’s taco night) and your favorite spices. You can use Mexican seasoning for a spicy casserole or stick to salt and pepper for a more traditional meal. Finally add some chopped onion and two or three cups of shredded cheese into the mixture. Stir everything together and then place into a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese bubbles.

Chicken and Cheese Casserole – Nothing can be simpler than this delicious chicken casserole. Begin by placing thin, boneless chicken breasts into the bottom of a baking dish. Cover the breasts with bread crumbs. (Flour will do in a pinch.) Add a cup of marinara sauce and your favorite spice to the dish. Then, sprinkle cheese over everything. Bake at 400 degrees for thirty minutes or so.

Tuna Noodle Casserole – Cooked egg noodles, tuna, and cream of mushroom soup come together to create this comforting dish. Begin by combining the soup, a cup of milk, and salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, mix your cooked noodles with two cans of drained tuna. Pour the soup mixture over the noodles and tuna and stir until it is well-mixed. Finally, pour the entire concoction into a baking dish. Sprinkle ½ cup of crushed saltine crackers over the entire dish and bake at 350 degrees for thirty minutes.

Turkey Casserole – This casserole is great for using some of that turkey leftover from Thanksgiving. Place leftover turkey chunks into a baking dish sprinkling in chopped onion and celery. Add a cup of Alfredo sauce, some shredded cheese and bread crumbs over the top of the dish. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Sausage and Egg Casserole – Who says casseroles are only suitable for dinner? Brown your favorite sausage, breaking the sausage into small bits as you cook. Drain any fat or grease from the sausage on paper towels and lay it aside. Now you can focus on preparing the eggs. Prepare the eggs as you would prepare scrambled eggs, adding milk and any seasonings you like. Then, sprinkle the sausage and a cup of your favorite shredded cheese into the mixing bowl. Pour the entire concoction into a baking dish and bake at 325 degrees until the eggs are cooked all the way through.

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Limit your menu on each occasion. Don’t go crazy trying to provide a wide assortment of foods every time you entertain. Plan a simple meal based on the things you find on sale and prepare large quantities of your dishes.

Utilize generic products. Serving generic foods instead of name brand foods can help you stretch your food dollars as far as they will go. If you don’t want your guests to see the plain packaging of the generic foods, you can always move everything into serving dishes before your guests arrive.

Prepare foods yourself rather than using pre-prepared foods. If you’re willing to forego the convenience of pre-prepared foods and do the hard work yourself, you can save big bucks. Don’t forget to prepare as much as you can ahead of time to avoid any craziness on the day of your gathering.

Shop ahead of time for your meals. If you start shopping for your gathering ahead of time, you can take advantage of sales at your local grocery store. Collect the items you need over time as they are featured in the store’s sale ads.

Choose simple recipes. You don’t need to fuss with complicated recipes as you prepare for your gathering. They are harder to create and more expensive than their simpler counterparts. Instead, look to tried and true dishes that require fewer than ten (or so) ingredients.

Serve mix drinks. Note that I said “mix drinks,” not mixed drinks. When we have big family get-togethers, we limit our drinks to tea, water, and Kool-Aid. That’s it! The cost of purchasing soft drinks or beer for large groups of people is just too high to do it every time we entertain.

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Although stocking up on office supplies during the back to school sales is something I have been doing for years now, it completely slipped my mind to actually write a post about it. I was pleasantly surprised when readers of this blog took the time to comment and email reminding me that these back to school sales are not just for the kids! Thanks to Andre at Offers.com and David at YourFinances101 for the money saving reminder!

Content provided by Not Made Of Money: Back To School Sales – Not Just for The Kids

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